This invention relates to a powered detergent dissolving apparatus of a washing machine, and more particularly, to a detergent dissolving container for receiving the laundry detergent.
In general, when laundry is washed by a washing machine, some of the powered detergent employed to wash the laundry frequently remains, unless the rinsing cycle is performed several times or the detergent is dissolved with water in advance outside of the washing machine. Therefore, the solution of the problem may involve a mechanical detergent dissolving apparatus which can prevent the detergent from remaining on clothes.
A conventional mechanical detergent dissolving apparatus which utilizes the stream force of water jetted through a water supply jetting pipe is illustrated in FIG. 1. The mechanical detergent dissolving apparatus comprises an outer body 1 in the form of a cube box and an inner body 2A slided leftward and rightward into or from the outer body 1. The inner body 2A includes a filter 3 placed therein with the detergent. The outer body 1 is provided with a water supply opening 4 formed on its top surface to introduce wash water thereinto. The water supply opening 4 is coupled with a water supply tube 6, and a water guide tube 7 is mounted between the water supply opening 4 and the water supply tube 6, in which the water guide tube 7 includes a water jetting nozzle 5 which is narrowed in a tapered form toward the lower portion from the upper portion to accelerate the water supply into the wash tube. An air intaking hole 9 is formed between the water jetting nozzle 5 and the water guide tube 7 for increasing the efficiency of the detergent dissolution. An auxiliary filter 8 of a net type is arranged between the water guide tube 7 and the water supply tube 4 to prevent the reverse flowing of water supplied.
The detergent dissolving apparatus is assembled so that the water supply tube 7 is coupled into the water supply opening 4 together with the jetting nozzle 5, and the filter 3 in the form of a funnel or a truncated cone is placed in the inner body 2A which is and then inserted into the outer body 1.
The reduced cross-sectional outlet of the jetting nozzle 5, and the presence of air intaking hole 9 serve to increase the stream speed of water supplied, thereby forming a faster stream. The stream strikes against the detergent received in the filter 3 and forms a vortex in the inner body 2A after passing through the filter 3, thereby dissolving the detergent.
The detergent dissolving apparatus must be operated so that the wash water jetted from the jetting nozzle 5 is passed through the received detergent and the bottom net surface of the filter 3 by its own energy. A mass A of detergent particles is separated by force of stream F.sub.1, and the detergent is dissolved during the circulation of the detergent particles in the filter 3. But, when the stream pressure is in the lower weaker state of about 0.8 Kgf/cm.sub.2), the force acting against the mass A is too weak to dislodge the mass. Thus, the mass of the detergent still remains at the upper edge of the filter 3.
Moreover, at the initial stage of the water supply, the detergent particles overflow from the upper periphery of the filter, within a water stream "F.sub.2 " and will accumulate in the lower corner portion C. Consequently, the water stream F.sub.2 can not contact the accumulated detergent, so it remains.
Furthermore, since the detergent particles are undissolved at the initial stage of the main water supply when the stream has high pressure, these particles fully occupy the filter, and thereby reduce the outgoing water volume to a value less than that of the incoming water passing through the jetting nozzle. Also, a lump of detergent particles entrained in the water is reverse-flowed out by the force of a stream F from the top of the detergent container 3. In order to solve the problem, the gap G, through which a detergent flows out, needs to be narrower. However the more the gap is narrowed, the more the detergent dissolved in the water flows out backward through the air intaking hole 9 of the water guide tube 7. This phenomenon is prevented by using a check valve, but it is very difficult to prevent the reverse-flowing of wash water toward a warming water connecting tube during the supplying of cool water. This phenomenon also continues for an extended period, because the reduced-pressure water stream can not quickly dissolve the detergent. The problem becomes more serious as the detergent substance in the filter becomes more sticky. To solve this problem, the filter 3 is installed at the outlet of the water supply valve, but this too becomes a factor in reducing the nozzle jetting force.
The conventional detergent dissolving apparatus thus has problems of the remaining avoiding the detergent, the discharging of a larger amount of undissolved detergent particles, the limitations in improving the performance and the quality due to the conflicting solutions relating the reverse-flowing relationship as well as the delay of the washing time due to the reduction of the cross-sectional area of a jetting pipe or nozzle. Therefore, it is very desirous to solve the problems by a simple structure.
An object of the invention is to provide a detergent dissolving apparatus including a detergent container to improve a filter portion, thereby preventing undissolved detergent from flowing out of the detergent container.
Another object of the invention is to provide the detergent dissolving apparatus for increasing the vortex stream force of washing water in the detergent container and dissolving an amount of powdered detergent, quickly.
Another object of the invention is to provide the detergent dissolving apparatus having a compact structure in which a supporter supports the detergent container with its height portion being extended from an inner body.